In Alien Life Simulator you will need to manage your emotions while you explore alien worlds in this 3rd person rogue-lite with life sim and survival elements!
21/03/2021
20/03/2021
📖 Amiga Addict – A NEW Print Amiga Magazine 📖 #RetroGaming #CommodoreAmiga
The Amiga is a system that holds a very dear place in my ticker. I grew up with the A500+ / A1200 and the leap from my Amstrad CPC to the Amiga was akin to spending years watching the films of Albert Pyun and then watching literally any film by any other director…it was a breath-taking, gravity-defying jump in quality and immersion.
19/03/2021
🌟 30XX | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Tight Pixel Platforming" 🌟 @batterystaple_g #GameDev #IndieGames
Jump, shoot, and slash your way through 30XX, the roguelike action platformer you can play with a friend!
Explore lush, ever-changing worlds that mix precise platforming with fevered combat. Destroy fearsome Guardians. Master unique Powers.
Rediscover the thousand years we've lost.
18/03/2021
🌵 Room To Grow | Ten Minute Taster | PC | "A Spiky Puzzle Game With A Prickly Ending" 🌵 @mischkakamener #IndieGames #GameDev
17/03/2021
👨⚖️ I Am Your President: Prologue | Review | PC | 2/10 | "It’s a bargain bin experience that’s not worth the time" 👨⚖️ @PixelHunted #GameDev #IndieGames
16/03/2021
🦀🏝️🛋️ Moving Out DLC: "Movers In Paradise" | Nintendo Switch | Review | "Just Another Day In Moving Paradise" 🦀🏝️🛋️ @MovingOutGame #IndieGames #GameDev
Moving Out has become a firm family favourite during 2021 as we spend a lot of time at home playing video games together as a family (this purchase was inspired by Britt's review)
Our previous favourite was Overcooked from Team 17 with its manic cooking madness.
Moving Out has superseded Overcooked though because the variety of fun to be had with four players while trying to fling sofas onto the back of a truck in a time limit is absolutely limitless.
15/03/2021
⚔️ Ultimate ADOM - Caverns of Chaos | PC | Ten Minute Taster | "Those Caverns Be Endless!" ⚔️ @thomas_biskup #IndieGames #GameDev
In Ultimate ADOM - Caverns of Chaos you'll experience the sequel of the traditional roguelike dungeon-crawling classic.
Enjoy unlimited replayability through endless procedurally generated dungeons, countless monsters, grafting, crafting and a vast amount of skill trees.
Journey into the ever-changing depths of the Caverns of Chaos.
Also, enjoy me fumbling about inside a dungeon trying to work out how to put skill points into my character whilst I weigh up a slingshot versus a crossbow...
14/03/2021
🌄🗿 Summer Catchers | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Summer Loving Had Me A Blast!" 🌄🗿 @SummerCatchers #GameDev #IndieGames
Fast forward to 2021 and now it’s on Nintendo Switch I think I have discovered a video game that will stick with me for a very long time to come.
Summer Catchers is……….bloody marvellous.
13/03/2021
🎭 Liberated – Enhanced Edition | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Enhanced and Refreshed!" 🎭 @LiberatedGame #IndieGames #GameDev
12/03/2021
💣 Papi Commando 2: Second Blood | Review | 8/10 | Mega Drive | "There’s No Blood Like Second Blood" 💣 @Broke_Studio #IndieGames #GameDev #HomeBrew #SEGA
11/03/2021
👑🏰 Castle Kong | Nintendo Switch | Review | 6/10 | "For Die Hard Donkey Kong fans Who Want to Really Challenge Their High Score Prowess / Patience" 👑🏰 @DrowningMonkeys #IndieGames #GameDev
Castle Kong is a homage to the legendary Donkey Kong and comes from the Drowning Monkeys devs.
The initial big draw for this game was the high score comp that was run alongside its release which was a great way to get people hyped for the game coming out.
In the cold light of day though now the competition has concluded what is the game actually like to play. Well if you like Donkey Kong then you’ll like this.
10/03/2021
🏹🧛♂️ Wallachia: Reign of Dracula | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "8-Way Combat is The Order of The Day" 🏹🧛♂️ @Migami_Games #GameDev #IndieGames
Following my review of Tanuki Justice a few days ago, a game from publisher Pixelheart that calls to mind the 8-bit Japanese arcade era, it was interesting to follow up that review with another game – again from Pixelheart – that shifts gears to the 16-bit era.
Wallachia: Reign of Dracula is a game that follows the tale of a vampire hunter as she bows-and-arrows (definitely a real term, don’t look it up) her way through seven stages of vintage arcade action in a bid to finally fire an arrow right up Dracula’s jacksie and put a stop to his haemoglobin-fuelled shenanigans.
📻 We Were Here Forever will arrive in Q4 2021 on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S 📻 @WeWereHereGame #IndieGames #GameDev
09/03/2021
👊 SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Pocket Sized & Packing A Punch!" 👊
It was such a highly regarded title that more Neo Geo Pocket Colours were bought because of this title than any other game on the system. It was seen as the killer app that might make the Pocket Colour a viable opponent of the Game Boy Colour (that didn't work out too well in the end)
08/03/2021
🐷 GUNPIG: Firepower For Hire | Review | Nintendo Switch | "I'd definitely be up for more of this!" 🐷 @FlynnsArcades #GameDev #IndieGames
To quote my friend Britt, also of this parish: "A third of the game is cutscenes, they are hurling around characters' names which all sound similar and sometimes refer to the same person in a light/dark/alternate version. So in one scene, they can refer to one character by multiple names...and they haven't yet been introduced."
07/03/2021
⚔️⛵️ Shores Unknown | First 30 Minutes Of Gameplay | No Commentary ⛵️⚔️ @ShoresUnknown #GameDev #IndieGames
06/03/2021
05/03/2021
🌟 Anodyne 2: Return to Dust | Review | XBOX Series X | 9/10 | "A Beautifully Realised World With a Wonderful Tale To Tell" 🌟 @analgesicprod #IndieGames #GameDev
It was only a few weeks ago that I noticed a comment on Twitter, lamenting how few games there were that were presented with PS1-era polygonal visuals.
Fast forward a few days to me watching a trailer for Anodyne 2: Return to Dust, a game which not only featured such visuals…but looked so interesting that I had to seek it out as soon as possible, it was my destiny.
04/03/2021
🎧 Stealth Shadow X & Stealth Conqueror (Arctic Camo Edition) | Gaming Headset Review 🎧 @StealthGameNet #HeadsetReview
Kindly sent in from the folks at Stealth, I believe it’s the first time on the site that we have covered their products – or at least I have – and it was fun to dive in and see what these headsets had to offer.
Whilst the Shadow X was the clear favourite for me personally, I can see the appeal that the Conqueror would have not only for its aesthetic and complimentary stand but also for children and those of you blessed with smaller ears.
03/03/2021
🚕🚖 Taxi Chaos | Review | Xbox Series X | 5/10 | "A Missed Opportunity For Some Throwback Action" 🚕🚖 @LionCastleEnt #IndieGames #GameDev
A title that is very clearly explicitly based on Sega’s Crazy Taxi from back in 1999, Taxi Chaos runs well from a technical standpoint and is initially fun but then falls down quickly in almost all other aspects.
02/03/2021
01/03/2021
🌟 Tanuki Justice | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Retro Arcade Action Not For The Faint Of Heart" 🌟 @PixelHeart_eu #IndieGames #GameDev
Tanuki Justice was quite a surprise to me. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when installing the game but I certainly wasn’t expecting what feels to me to be a faithful interpretation of a fictional 8-bit Japanese arcade game.
It’s well designed but I do feel that its appeal will be somewhat niche.
28/02/2021
⚔️🏹 Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8.5/10 | "Alone or with friends...it’s all good" ⚔️🏹 @Team17 #IndieGames #GameDev
27/02/2021
👹⚔️ Hellpoint | Review | PS4 | 7/10 | "Did I Mention This Game Was Challenging?" 👹⚔️ @CradleGames #IndieGames #GameDev
Let’s go!
26/02/2021
💥 Shot In The Dark 💥 | @PossumHGames #IndieGames #GameDev
25/02/2021
🤜💥🤺 Guilty Gear Strive | PS4 | BETA | Gameplay | "Every Character Tried" 🤜💥🤺 @ArcSystemWorksU #GuiltyGearStrive
Come watch me try all the characters in the starting roster.
24/02/2021
💥 Speed Limit | Review | Nintendo Switch | 7.5/10 | "Live. Die. Repeat" 💥 @gamechuckretro #GameDev #IndieGames
Speed Limit is a game that takes the player on brisk journeys across classic genres ranging from side-scrolling shooters to racing games and even isometric flight.
It's a game that works great in both single-player mode, ‘pass-the-pad’ party fun and I can also imagine is a keeper for the speedrunners out there.
23/02/2021
⚔️💀 Cathedral | Review | 8/10 | Nintendo Switch | "2D Metroidvania action with a chiptune soundtrack? Good" 💀 @EldenPixels #GameDev #IndieGames
An 8-bit styled Metroidvania, Cathedral really sucked me in with vibrant visuals and comfortably familiar gameplay.
That said, musical issues and a clunky map do detract from the overall enjoyment.
Cathedral was a game I hadn’t heard of before but after a quick goosey at the trailer, I was sold. 2D Metroidvania action with a chiptune soundtrack? Good.22/02/2021
🕵️♀️ Dry Drowning | Review | Nintendo Switch | 7/10 | "A Cyberpunk Visual Novel" 🕵️♀️ @VLGpublishing #IndieGames #GameDev
A cyberpunk, visual novel with light interactive elements, Dry Drowning has great presentation and an intriguing story to tell but is held back by some elements of characterisation and gameplay.
21/02/2021
🖲️ Kinetic Edge | Ten minute Taster | PC | "Crazy Golf Neon Marble Madness" 🖲️ @KineticEdgeGame #IndieGames #GameDev
Kinetic Edge is a physics platformer based racing game where you have to figure out the best way to overcome obstacle courses with a shape of your choice.
20/02/2021
🎮🕹️💻 Remembering My Childhood Video Game Store 🎮🕹️💻 #RetroGaming
Sitting down in lockdown 3 watching some rubbish on the TV whilst reading Retro Gamer Magazine late at night I was dreaming of the time when we could walk into shops and browse video games and then my mind wandered off to when I was an 11-year-old boy who would visit LOGIC Computers in Cheshunt Hertfordshire to buy my Atari XE/XL tapes and cartridges for my ATARI XEGS.
19/02/2021
👁🗨 The Dark Eye : Chains Of Satinav | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Game that will please old school point n click enthusiasts but that may also put off newcomers to the genre" 👁🗨 @daedalic #IndieGames #GameDev
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav was originally released by Daedalic Entertainment in 2012 on PC and has now come over to the Nintendo Switch.
The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav can definitely be defined as an old-school point-and-click adventure game and it's definitely entrenched in the design decisions that will please old school point n click enthusiasts but that may also put off newcomers to the genre as the frustration levels may increase unless you play with the assist / easy mode switched on.
🧞♂️ The Theme of the New Wonder Boy trailer is Pepelogoo 🧞♂️ @ININ_Games @pr_hound #IndieGames #GameDev
The theme of the new Wonder Boy trailer is Pepelogoo, Asha's trusted blue sidekick and one of the main characters in the game!
The trailer shows the two of them working together to overcome any obstacles.
18/02/2021
🖲️ Glyph | Review | Nintendo Switch | 8/10 | "Glyph is an expansive title that has a lot under it’s sleek hood" 🖲️ @PlayGlyph #IndieGame #GameDev #MadeWithUnity
A game based on fluid movement and exploration, Glyph is an expansive title that has a lot under its sleek hood but also isn’t shy when it comes to the difficulty curve.
17/02/2021
👧🔫 Gal*Gun Returns | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Light Gun Would Light This Up" 👧🔫 @PQubeAsia #GalGun
Whilst I’m not familiar with the Gal*Gun series, my initial thought was that any rail-shooter that is to be controlled by anything other than a light gun would really suffer in the gameplay department and those worries were indeed well-founded.
As well-presented as the game is, it feels to tame to be titillating and too repetitive to be engaging.
16/02/2021
🐉⚔️ Nioh 2 : The Complete Edition | PC | Review | "Swinging Your Spiky Balls Around Has Never Been So Much Fun!" ⚔️🐉 #Nioh2
15/02/2021
🛋️ Moving Out | Review | X Box Series X | 9/10 | "An extremely fun and silly party game that will clearly remain installed for a long time to come" 🛋️ @smgstudio #IndieGames #GameDev
Upon seeing the trailer for Moving Out, I initially assumed it was some sort of mobile port due to the top-down viewpoint and colourful aesthetic.
I’m VERY glad that my intuition won out and I ended up playing the game, however, as it’s an extremely fun and silly party game that will clearly remain installed for a long time to come (especially as there is imminent DLC!).
14/02/2021
👒 Evan’s Remains | PC | Review by Pixel Hunted | 2/10 | "Evan’s Remains is about hitting ‘A’ over and over and over (and over) again" 👒 @PixelHunted # Evansremains #GameDev #IndieGames
13/02/2021
⚔️🐲 Morbid: Seven Acolytes | Review | Nintendo Switch | "A Lovecraftian Hack n' Slasher ARPG That is Really Punishing" ⚔️🐲 @MorbidTheGame #IndieGames #GameDev
A Lovecraftian hack n' slasher ARPG that is really punishing at first?
That, reader, is the sound of my boxes being ticked.
Morbid: Seven Acolytes packs a ton of lore and gore into a very nice-looking package. The pixel-art graphics are really lovely and detailed, letting you see the frankly disgusting range of enemies and characters that populate the world of Mornia.
12/02/2021
⛏️ Aground | Review (revisited) | XBox Series X | "One of The Best Games I Have Ever Played 10/10" ⛏️ @WhiteThornGames #GameDev #IndieGames
I first reviewed Aground in its initial PC incarnation back in July 2020 (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2020/07/aground-pc-review-best-2-d-crafting.html) and I absolutely adored it. Rich (my hateful, drunken boss) tends to cover a lot of the PC games we receive for review and I lean more towards console releases.
I mention in my original review that it was totally by chance that I picked it out for coverage when my Switch was being Animal Crossing-ed to death by someone who shall remain nameless* and I’m so glad that I was introduced to it.
11/02/2021
🎮 Pre-order Boxed Physical Starts on 21st Feb - Speed Limit (PS4 & Switch) 🎮 @RealStrictlyLTD @HoundPicked #IndieGames #GameDev
Strictly Limited Games will be releasing an exclusive limited physical, boxed, version for pre-ordering commencing on 21st February for the out and out action title Speed Limit for PS4 and Switch.
The exclusive pre-order for this unforgettable arcade experience will start from Strictly Limited Games on February 21st.
💥 Turrican Flashback | Nintendo Switch | Review | "Turrican was a must-have video game and every kid at our school had it" 💥 @ININ_Games #RetroGaming #Turrican
In the days of the Commodore Amiga, Turrican was a must-have video game and every kid at our school had it.
Turrican was famous for running and gunning your way through levels using creative weapons, destructive bombs and sometimes even a grappling hook! It was a great series and now you finally get the chance to relive this great series on one release from Inin Games.
10/02/2021
🕵️♂️ Disjunction | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Cyberpunk is a Genre That Always Makes My Bronzed Fists Vibrate" 🕵️♂️ @soldout #IndieGames #GameDev
Cyberpunk is a genre that always makes my bronzed fists vibrate. You know there’ll be achingly beautiful music, towering cityscapes lit at night and a moody tale to tuck into, populated by shadowy characters.
Whilst stealth has often been a part of this, I believe that Disjunction is the first Cyberpunk game that I’ve played with such a heavy focus on the stealth aspect.
Whilst Disjunction is a solid game with a great, pixelated aesthetic and music, I couldn’t help but wish the focus was more on narrative as opposed to stage-by-stage sneakiness as I enjoyed the setting, audio and presentation so much.
09/02/2021
⚔️🏰🐀 Hero U : Rogue To Redemption | Review | Nintendo Switch | "Hero U Combines Old School Point n Click Adventure Style Gameplay with a Harry Potter Style Storyline" ⚔️🏰🐀 @SilesiaGames #GameDev #IndieGames #PointNClick
Silesia Games brings us Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption and manages to somehow effortlessly combine old school point n click adventure style gameplay with an intriguing Harry Potter esque storyline which is set around a small but perfectly formed set of memorable characters and on the switch I feel that this game really comes into its own.
Hero-U is a spiritual sequel to a game series that was released in the ‘90s called Quest for Glory and after playing Hero-U Rogue To Redemption I’m intrigued by the Quest For Glory anthology of video games as I missed those titles the first time around.
08/02/2021
🛸🚀 Habroxia 2 | Review | Nintendo Switch | "After a ‘mental reboot’, I realised the subtle genius of the design" 🛸🚀 @LillymoGames #GameDev #IndieGames
Upon initially playing Habroxia 2, the game didn’t quite click with me and it was very much my fault.
07/02/2021
🕹️🎮📅 Name A Year and I Will Name 4 Video Games (1979 to 2020) 🕹️🎮📅 #RetroGaming #GamersUnite
I saw this cool trend on Twitter whereby you name 4 games from any requested year.
I thought it would be a good idea to compile my 4 games from every year of my life so far...so here goes!
06/02/2021
🤜💥🤛 The King Of Fighters XIV | Review | PS4 | "Right I’m off to build my own fight stick out of a cardboard box and a banana" 🤜💥🤛 @SNKPofficial #KingOfFightersXIV
Released back in 2017 King Of Fighter XIV was the newest entry in the acclaimed THE KING OF FIGHTERS series of fighting games.
The project was led by the legendary veteran creator of FATAL FURY Yasuyuki Oda.
KOFXIV took the classic fighting game gameplay that the series was known for and implemented lush new 3D visuals which were a first for a mainline entry in the series!
The game comes with a massive roster of 50 characters in the base game along with 4 DLC characters, including both returning fan favourites and new characters.
It was billed as a perfect entry point for veterans and newcomers alike...
05/02/2021
💥👽💥 Alien Scumbags | Review | PC | "A Fantastic 2D Pixel Art Horror Game Inspired by Doom and Duke Nukem" 💥👽💥 @KKindiegame @TristaBytes #GameDev #IndieGames
As you explore the dark corridors of an abandoned spaceship you stumble across a shotgun!
It’s just what you were looking for to fend off these alien Scumbags once and all for all.
The tannoy announcements play out loud as you tread carefully.
You hear a noise and jump into an empty locker to hide from the impending doom!
Nothing nasty comes along so you carefully make your way out of the locker and tiptoe along the corridor preying to avoid any trouble and maybe discover a health drop from a vending machine.
Then it hits you! “BAM!”
A massive Alien Scumbag lurches towards you with the intent of ripping your head off, so you unload a shotgun into its midriff and bring it to its knees and then finish it off with your final shotgun shell!
Meanwhile, the darkness and the foreboding atmosphere envelopes you as tread carefully forwards towards another impending scrap with an Alien nasty.
04/02/2021
👽🖥️ Alien Function | PC | Review | "Vance Baryn might not have an eye for visuals but the guy can certainly put together a juicy set of adventure game puzzles!" 👽🖥️ @PixelHunted @StandOffGameDev #GameDev #IndieGames
Let’s get it out of the way: Alien Function looks like crap. Stand Off Software’s latest is a car crash of pre-made assets, outright ugly character models and fonts that should be prohibited under the Geneva Convention.
The game puts its worst foot forward on the title screen, showing a badly animated alien pursuing what seems to be an NPC from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.